THE RANGE Rover P38a was a vast step above what had come before – it offered not only go-anywhere ability but luxury beyond that the outgoing car could hope to match. Land Rover was bullish about the new product – it believed that not only was it capable of seeing off the best that Jeep could throw its way but also that it could compete on equal terms with the Mercedes S class and Jaguar XJ. Few outside the motoring magazines had the chance to compare the two when they were new – and as they age, few enthusiasts like the idea of having two large and costly classics on the driveway.
However, at Jaguar World we’re different. These two cars have been run alongside each other for almost three years now, meaning we feel better qualified than most to assess whether the Range Rover really was as good as a luxury saloon. Can it take on the Jaguar XJ and win?
The Jaguar XJ and the Range Rover, as concepts, date back to within two years of each other. And by 1994, both were due new generations. The X300 and the P38a were launched in the same month, September 1994, and unsurprisingly most of the major car mags capitalised by featuring both in the same issue under the banner of Britishness.
The Range Rover Classic was getting old by 1994. After a solid 24 years of production, Land Rover had developed a new model to succeed it. Development stretched back into the 1980s, andto be plush – not least because the sub-Range Rover Discovery was cramped in the existing market and the upward expansion of the Range Rover market would mean less internal competition. The P38a – named after the room in which it was developed – would sit on an eight inch longer wheelbase, and be fitted with larger engines and better trim than the outgoing car.
